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Interview: Roger Uceda, BCN3D Technologies, ‘being in an open source community multiplies your efforts exponentially’

Our series to celebrate the10th Anniversary of RepRapcontinues with 3D printing insights from BCN3D Technologies.

罗杰·乌塞达(Roger Uceda)是BCN3D Technologies,非营利性CIM-UPC基金会的部门。2010年,在巴塞罗那科技大学的研究实验室开发3D打印机的工作开始,该项目后来将发展成为称为BCN3D Technologies的合资企业。

BCN3D通过为其3D打印机发布设计文件,继续遵守开源校长,最近雷电竞app下载BCN3D SIGMAX。In this article Roger Uceda gives insights into the beginnings of BCN3D and the benefits of Open Source.

The BCN3D Sigma (Left) versus the new BCN3D Sigmax (right). Image via BCN3D
The BCN3D Sigma (Left) versus the new BCN3D Sigmax (right). Image via BCN3D

Michael Petch: How would you describe the importance of the RepRap project?

Roger Uceda:BCN3D Technologieswas born inCIM-UPC, a technological center of the Technical University of Catalonia –Barcelona Tech。CIM-UPC使用SLA、FDM、SLS 3 d打印机si雷电竞app下载nce 1997 and provides 3D printing prototypes to industries across Europe. Before 2007, we had the feeling that the technology was stagnant. With the arrival of the RepRap project thanks to Dr. Adrian Bowyer, thousands of people were able to redefine the 3D printing technology from scratch, making it accessible to everyone.

With all the knowledge generated, companies such as MakerBot,Ultimakerand BCN3D Technologies were able to develop 3D printers with FFF technology. Working in isolation and with only their own resources, this wouldn’t have been possible. Some companies, like BCN3D, have continued to respect the Open Source license because we believe in the advantages that it has, while others do not.

It was not until the explosion of the RepRap movement that other corporations saw the business possibilities that 3D Printing can provide. Whether in the field of thermoplastics, resins, metals, ceramics, bioprinting, etc.

双重挤出机准备在TCT 2017上打印BCN3D Sigmax的两侧。
Dual extruders prepare to print either side of the BCN3D Sigmax at TCT 2017. Photo by Michael Petch.

迈克尔·皮奇(Michael Petch):转载现在与您有何关系?

Roger Uceda:In 2010 we hosted a Portuguese student called José Miguel Abreu thanks to a Leonardo internship. He built the firstMendel 3D printer我们有。由于CNC机器和工业级3D打印机在CIM-UPC上可用,因此在不到两周的时间内,我们雷电竞app下载在我们的设施中有一台功能性的3D打印机。

Although the print quality was very poor, compared to what our SLS or SLA machines could print, we believed that the project had a lot of potential and we adhered to it. It was then that we decided to create RepRapBCN, now BCN3D Technologies, with the aim of developing, manufacturing and commercializing Open Source 3D printers, and helping users to exploit their potential. Quickly, everything related to hardware, software and printing materials began to grow by leaps and bounds. For example at the beginning of 2012 we published a我们660欧元的Mendel和500K 3D Systems SLA-7000工业3D打印机的比较at our lab.

The 3D printing community was also evolving and proposing new innovations. In 2013, we saw the work of Buildrob, an Australian user of Thingiverse, who had developed aDual X-Carriage for his Bukobot Duo printer。The advantages of this dual extrusion system were obvious from our point of view, so we decided to develop our BCN3D Sigma adopting this system and giving it the name of IDEX (Independent Dual Extruder). The success of BCN3D is largely due to the RepRap project, and to an anonymous user of the Open Source community. No matter how hard you work, being in an open source community multiplies your efforts exponentially.

Michael Petch: What is your perspective on the state of Open Source in 2018 and is there still a need for OS projects?

Roger Uceda:尽管新公司以其业务为基础的开源技术的爆炸似乎危害开源业务模型,但我们看到社区和实践开放硬件的公司都比以往任何时候都更健康。

在迫在眉睫的未来,我们将看到3D打印世界中开放的硬件公司,不仅基于知识的交换,而且基于进一步发展的策略。这样的大型合作伙伴项目将进一步开源3D打印,不仅能够在3D打印桌面领域竞争,而且能够在专业的3D打印领域中竞争。

最后,3D打印是一种工具。对于最终用户而言,知道工具的工作原理可能很有用,但是它真正需要的是与工具可以做什么相关的开源项目。近年来,我们看到了大型开源项目的诞生,这些项目肯定影响了许多人的生活:假体,自定义鞋垫,机器人,无人机等。除了项目提供的内容之外,它们也是未来创作者的知识来源。参加这些项目中的任何一个,使一个人能够在任何其他领域应用公开创新。

3D printed orthotic fin on Pedro's spasticity-affected hand. Photo via BCN3D.
3D printed orthotic fin created by BCN3D Technologies. Photo via BCN3D Technologies.

Michael Petch: What are some of the key developments in 3D printing during the past decade?

Roger Uceda:我们目前正在CIM-UPC的生物打印和3D印刷陶瓷材料领域的不同研究项目。所有这些系统以及我们今天在市场上可以找到的食品打印机都基于Richard Horne, better known as RichRap

In 2012, Richard developed an extrusion system for pasty materials in syringes and adapted them to be used in a RepRap type MendelMax printer.

多亏了the article posted on his blog, several companies, individuals and research centers would adapt this innovation in fields as diverse as architecture or biology.

Michael Petch: What is 3D printing currently missing, what would you like to see?

Roger Uceda:During my industrial experience in the automotive world, I was able to verify that there is no magic process by which a piece can be manufactured, but a concatenation of manufacturing processes, which one by one give shape and properties to a or several pieces, which are finally assembled in a more complex final product.

The hype of 3D printing is based on the fact that in the future, it will become a unique manufacturing process that will respond to all the geometric and functional specifications of a product.

The 3D printing market needs to be more open the point of view and see what is the potential of 3D printing in combination with other manufacturing processes, whether additive, subtractive, thermal, chemical, etc.

I would like to see the integration of additive manufacturing processes in manufacturing lines coexisting in perfect harmony with other manufacturing processes. Personally, I do not believe in the technical and economic feasibility of a factory that only works with 3D printers, just as I do not want any factory without 3D printers.

3D打印行业celebrates the 10th Anniversary of RepRap

Our series to celebrate the10th Anniversary of RepRapwill continue with more interviews and insights from those involved in the early days of the project.

Make sure you don’t miss the upcoming interviews with the RepRap pioneers, subscribe to the3D打印行业newsletterand在社交媒体上关注我们

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特色图片显示Roger Uceda BCN3D Technologies创始人。通过El Mundo的照片。